This week, the Ombudsman’s Office urged the Ministry of Health to adopt urgent measures to ensure COVID-19 prevention and care for people residing in psychiatric hospitals. However, it is important to remember that we can also help.
For this reason, we are sharing this interview with Selma Passalacqua de Price, President of the Volunteer Association of Hospital Víctor Larco Herrera, who told us about the incredible work they have been carrying out for many years, including during this challenging time, as well as her perspective on the stigma surrounding mental health. Thank you, Selma!
– Selma, tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been working as a volunteer at Hospital Víctor Larco Herrera? What inspired you to do so?
I started my work as a volunteer at the hospital 15 years ago. It was a decision I made as soon as I retired: my children had left home, I experienced an empty nest feeling, and I said, “This is the moment when I have stopped working to earn money, and from now on I want to work to serve others.” That was my wish.
Mental health had always been a topic that deeply interested me, and the hospital was also close to my home. When I was able to visit and meet the people from the different wards, I fell in love with this work.
– How was the Civil Association for Mental Health Support Víctor Larco Herrera founded?
The Association was initially created through visits from women belonging to the Dutch diplomatic corps and later through visits from mothers of students at Santa María School, who were able to witness in situ the significant needs of the people living at the hospital at that time. The goal was to establish a formal channel to receive donations, develop projects, and communicate to society in different ways the work that had been carried out through volunteering. This is how the Association was founded 25 years ago; this year we are celebrating our Silver Anniversary.
– Do you think there is stigma surrounding mental health and Hospital Víctor Larco Herrera?
Yes, of course, and a great deal of it. People come to our hospital when they are in very serious conditions, and many times they attribute their problems to witchcraft, demonic curses, among other beliefs. There is a great deal of misinformation and lack of understanding about mental health.
Additionally, unfortunately, families often have a tendency to hide these issues. Our role as volunteers is to dignify the lives of people living with mental health conditions; therefore, we always talk with their families. We help them understand that there are different illnesses, such as diabetes or hypertension, which are related to problems in one of our organs, and that, in the same way, difficulties with thoughts and the mind can also occur and must be properly treated.
But yes, stigma exists. I have witnessed how people who have fully recovered, with treatments that allow them to work and develop completely normally, are unfortunately not accepted when trying to begin a job or profession. As soon as people learn that they have lived at Hospital Víctor Larco Herrera, they immediately say no: they take away their opportunity; it is as if they were forced to carry a sign on their forehead.
Therefore, it is very painful, and there is much work to be done. All the volunteers dedicate ourselves to fighting this stigma, seeking the social inclusion of these individuals, and challenging these prejudices that should not exist in today’s society.
– How have you been supporting the hospital’s patients during this situation?
Our association supports people living in the hospital and also those who receive outpatient care.
The current situation is difficult because, at this time, the hospital is not providing outpatient consultations; only emergency cases are being attended. Huge lines form along Av. Del Ejército of people trying to enter through emergency services so they can receive their treatment through the coverage provided by the Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS). We provide these individuals with food supplies and hygiene products, as well as financial assistance, so they can feed their families, since due to stigma, many of them are unable to work, especially during this difficult situation.
– For those reading this: how can they help?
By helping us help others. By donating money, food supplies, gently used clothing, shoes, hygiene products, pillows, blankets, bedspreads, towels—anything they believe could be useful. This allows us to support both people living in the hospital wards and those who arrive through emergency services or outpatient consultations.
[Editorial note: We provide the Association’s bank account information at the end of this article.]
– Is there anything else you would like to add?
Society as a whole should fight to dignify the lives of these individuals, break down stigma, and promote their integration and inclusion in society, building a society that is fair toward them..
Unfortunately, we are sometimes witnesses to this stigma even in the donations we receive, which causes us great sadness. For us, the hospital’s patients are worth their weight in gold, and that is why we work together with the Hospital’s administration to promote respect for them: they deserve the same treatment as any other human being, and even more so because they are people who must live with and face a difficult and painful condition. They must be treated with the greatest care, compassion, and willingness to support them. That is our eternal and ongoing mission: raising awareness in society about respecting and dignifying the lives of people living with mental health conditions. That is why we exist as volunteers: this is our commitment and our fight.
Bank Account – Civil Association for Mental Health Support Víctor Larco Herrera
Contact: Facebook – Voluntariado Hospital V. Larco Herrera #EveryoneForMentalHealth
